http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20090521_12_0_CoastG427100



Weird, I didn't think there were a lot of safety issues with the commercial operators.

A few of them ride with the game Wardens too. For some reason, they sure like to hear people say their ABC's

I thought it ws weird to hear that Coast Guard would be there. I figured the state guys would be able to do the job just fine...

Hmmm, I guess ya'll have never been to Texoma on a holiday weekend? It is pure madness from Highport to the N. Island. You got drunks, over crowded boats, drunks and more drunks. They make a killing by checking dang near every boat that comes by! A lot of them, they take to a special dock, where the sherrif is standing by to take people in, lol. It probably won't be near as bad this weekend, with the water being high. We'll see...

I think if you guide or operate the party boats you have to have a Charter Boat Captain license. Maybe they will be enforcing it this year...

Six Old Geezers has a post about it in the "Message Board News, Questions & Updates" section.

Coast guard is here and boarded some guide boats today, looks like some changes are coming to the guide biz up here.

What would change? I would hope all guides have their boats up to Coast Guard standards already?

ABC's backwards.

alot of time on these big lakes you just have coast guard auxilary, they cannot enforce anything, they have no authority, but that does not mean that they wont call the law on you and have them do the dirty work........but from the article it sounds like it was the coast guard that can/will enforce the law.......but all in all, i would rather the coast guard pull me over and check my boat than the local authorities, cause coast guard is not really making any money off of infractions and such.

The only BUI'S that i have written citations for was when some guy that was alot older than the females with him was drunk off his azzz

i don't think the emphasis on the article was to hit up the party boat people. i think this was just a warning to all who were going out. being a huge fan of Texoma (accept for Holiday Weekends) I am glad they are out there.

to be honest I am out there once a week in the middle of the week. i rarely see another boat and i almost NEVER see the "Coast Guard" Lake Patrol accept on Holiday Weekends... Not a nock to them the just know when the crowds can get busy...

I had heard at one time that 16 footers and up had to carry flares on Texoma because of CC rules. I quit carrying them because I was always checked by just the GWs up there who never asked.

I wonder what makes Texoma different than other lakes in texas that guides are required to have capt. lisences? I had looked into this before and I thought it was only required on costal and international waters ( amistad and falcon ). There are larger lakes in the state that don't require the special licence. Also that licence is very expensive and time consuming to get.

Coast guard license is required on all for hire vessels operating on navigable waterways of the united states. Here is a link to a page that lists the navigable waterways in our area. Navigable waterways
One thing is for sure and that is that this issue is going to get ugly.

Thanks for the list Steve. After reading that list that also includes sam rayburn and toledo bend. I have never seen any of the guides on those two lakes listed as capt.. In my opinion there should be a different licence just for the freshwater guides. I do believe there should be some kind of a licence but alot of the stuff on that licence doesn't have anything to do with freshwater guys.

what lakes are larger than texoma, just curious, I have been under the impression for the last 28 years that texoma is the largest in the state